Clare’s Coffee Review- Camino Bakery

By: Clare Buchanan

Today I walked through Old Salem over to Brookstown to visit the widely known and widely loved- Camino Bakery. I have frequented Camino many times. Before Lot 63 entered my life with such beauty and grace, Camino was my usual coffee shop after a Sunday morning service at Home Moravian or St. Phillips. It was a nice spot. I would usually order an iced lavender matcha (Unfortunately, I have yet to find actual good quality matcha in Winston-Salem outside of Chad’s Chai…please let me know if you have.) and a bagel because I knew I didn’t like their coffee. Camino has just never been my first choice when it comes to coffee.

But, I try to be an unbiased reporter for the readers of Salem College, so I put Camino on my review list knowing full well that I probably would not be riveted with the result. 

Here’s my review of Camino Bakery:

CAMINO BAKERY

• Walkability: 0.4 miles. A delightful walk that can go one of two ways- down Main Street through Old Salem, or through the Salem walkway that you can access on Academy Street. Either way is lovely. I think I prefer the walkway though.
• Order: Hot vanilla latte with whole milk. (Forgot to order 2% milk.)
• Price: $5.42 (This is pushing it…) 3/5 squirrels.
• Taste: I don’t think the hype surrounding Camino is helping their case. When I moved to Winston, all I heard about was this infamous Camino coffee shop that every local Winston-Salemite adores and pledges their life to. People walk around town with Camino shirts, holding Camino mugs, wearing Camino hats. They stand in line for 45 minutes at Cobblestone Farmers Market to get a cup of Camino’s coffee or buy their nine dollar loaf of “San Francisco Sourdough Bread.” (Was it even made in San Francisco?) My first month in Winston, I was over the moon excited to try Camino, and when I finally got the opportunity- I was extremely underwhelmed. At first, I thought I must be the problem. So I kept going. And I continue to go. Because I’m hoping that one day, they’ll just figure it out, or I’ll just snap out of it. Well, they haven’t figured it out yet and I haven’t snapped out of it. It’s not even that their coffee is bad. I’ve had worse. (Looking at you, SaySo.) The bean is just so mediocre. It honestly tastes like Starbucks. And yet, every time I go to the Camino on Brookstown- there’s practically a line out the door. Every table is full, both inside and outside. It’s clear Camino is loved- so there has to be a reason. Maybe it’s their baked goods. They are a bakery afterall. I’ve had their bagels, fresh fruit danishes, and the ham & swiss croissant. (I also tried their quiche once but this is an experience I don’t really like to talk about.) Their baked goods are…fine. But, nothing special in my opinion. My coffee today was no different. Just average. 3/5 squirrels. 
• Ambiance: Camino is the only coffee shop I’ve ever been to with a dumbwaiter. It’s inoperable, but it’s still pretty cool that it’s there. In my opinion, the Brookstown location is much more favorable than the Fourth Street location- although both have the same interior vibe. I like that Camino has the shell thing going on and the connection to the pilgrimage walk in Spain. That’s very creative and very cool. 4/5 squirrels.  
• Customer Service: I don’t know what it is but every time I go into the Brookstown location and have to get up to the counter and order- I physically can’t act normal. I am a pretty social person and can talk to strangers normally. Usually. But there’s something about the Camino workers that unsettles me. I think they make me nervous, similar to how Krankies’ hot punk baristas make me nervous. I just want the cool baristas to think I’m cool. 3/5 squirrels. 

Well, we’re closing in on my Nine Days Of Solitude, and that means we are nearing the end of my Winston-Salem coffee review. I have two more special places in mind, one I know and adore, and another that I have never been to. 

Tomorrow, I make my way back to Brookstown for a very, very special coffee shop that might trump all other coffee shops, like ever. We’ll see!